The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-04-26
THIEVESIN A WINEVAULT
HEAVY ROBBERY OF OLD VIM
TAGES AT THE PULASKI.

The Wiltberger Cellar Broken Into and
Several Hundred Bottles Of Rare Ma
deira Stolen-Three of the Thieves
Captured-Wfnes that Cost Thous-
ands of Dollars Drunk by Negro Por-
tiers and Yardmen.
William Dixon, Adam Matthews and
Tom Golden were arrested last night for
bmgla,izng a private wine vault in the
Pulaski House cellar Dixon is a fireman
at the Pulaski and Matthews is yard man.
Both were committed to Jail. Golden gave
bond and was released.
The cellar of the hotel is a series of heavy
walled apartments. About the centre
of the building, on the south side,
is a deep vault with brick
walls several feet thick, reached through a
narrow, dark passage way. The door open
ing into the vault is a ponderous wood affair
several inches thick, strongly bolted and
hung upon huge iron hinges. 1t was fast
ened with two locks-one strong paddock
slipped over an iron strap and through
staple. Inside of this vault is another
smaller vault built in one corner, and
closed with heavy plank door. Both
vaults are lighted by small, heavily barred
ana SFGLeu WluuUNS.
RARE OLD WINES.
In these two cellars the rare old wines be
longing to the Wiltberger estate were stored.
They were known to be ancient vintages,
and were valued at thousands of dollars.
Some time ago Capt. James K. Clarke and
Judge w S. Chisholm purchased the wine,
or a part of it, for 50, 900. The vaults were
kept locked and the keys were in possession
of Col. r. j. Davant, agent of the estate.
While going through the cellar of the
hotel yesterday Col. Davant found the door
of the outer vault partly open. The lock
was broken and the staple was twisted off
Inside everything was in confusion Empty
wine cases were scattered over the floor and
piles of sawdust indicated that some one
had been in there very recently. The door
of the inner vault was broken down and
torn from its hinges.
SEARCHING THE CELLAR.
Detective Wetherhon was notified, and
in company with Col. Davant made a thor
ough examination of the interior of the eel
lar 1t was evident that large amount of
wine had been taken, but how much it was
impossible to tell, as there was no list OBJ
tainable.
Dixon and Matthews, the two negroes en-
ployed in the cellar and in the hotel yard,
slept in a room near the vault, and they
were at once suspected of being the guilty
parties Dixon was found at work in the
yard, and was accused of the theft. He
admitted that be had been in the
vault and had taken away some of the wine
and said that he had five or six bottles of it
then in his room. He was immediately ar
rested, with Matthews who roomed with
him.
Both negroes were taken before Justice
Warning RUSSELL Jr, and warrant charg
ing them with burglary was sworn out by
Col. Davant.
PART OF IT RECOVERED.
Their room was searched and twenty-seven
bottles of wine and a quantity of table and
glassware from the hotel dining room and
from Sullivan'S bar was found slowed away
Dixon admitted that he took the wine, but
denied that he broke into the vault. He
said that he found the door open last Thurs
day and went in and got the wine. He had
drank several bottles of it, but said that he
didn't like it very well. sit may be good,
but it amt de right wine for me- be said to
Capt Clarke when asked how he liked it.
Matthews denied having been in
of the wine. When close pressed
Dixon implicated Golden in the theft. He
said that he told Golden about the wine last
week, and took him down to the cellar and
into the vault, and that Golden carried some
of the wine away.
HIDDEN UNDER A BED.
Officer Wetherhorn went TO Golden's house
in Yamacraw and accused him of the theft.
He denied it at first, but after he learned
that Dixon had given him away he admitted
that he did have several bottles of the wine.
A search was made and thirty-fiv bottles
were found hidden under a bed. Golden
and several of his friends had a gathering
on Sunday and drank thirteen bottles-how
much more the officers didn't learn. 1t was
evidently of too rare a vintage for Golden,
as he was pretty we'll used up, having dis
posed of something over a case Of the wine,
worth at the lowest estimate $50 O case.
Golden was arrested for burglary on war
rant sworn out by Capt. Clarke.
SYSTEMATIC RoBBEEIEs.
Golden said that Dixon told him that he
had been stealing the wine for eight months.
| The thieving, it is evident, has been going
on for at least that length of time, as Mr..
| Sullivan has for several months past missed
wines from his vaults adjoining the one
| broken open, aud various articles have been
taken from the hotel stores. Dixon
had the keys to the cellars, and has doubt
| less kept himself and his friends supplied
with the fat OF the land from the wine
vaults and hotel storeroonls for a year or
more. The wine in the Wiltberger cellar
was fine old Madeira Of the vintagcs of 80,
80 and 81 Capt Clarke said that there
was not bottle of it that was not worth Sc
The case against Dixon and Golden will
be pushed, and in the meanwhile an investi-
cation will be made to discover if possible
other robberies that have been committed
| in the hotel